Golden triangle and bronze drums

Golden Triangle and Bronze drums Some musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

John Moore 10/4/2009

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Contents Chordophones......................................................................................................................................... 5 Harps ................................................................................................................................................... 5 Karen harp (tena, tenaku) ............................................................................................................... 5 Other harps ..................................................................................................................................... 6 Lutes .................................................................................................................................................... 8 Fretless long-necked lute (Lisu tseubeu; Black Lahu saemu; Akha deuham; also played by the Kokang and Wa) .............................................................................................................................. 8 Palaung ding.................................................................................................................................. 10 The Lahu teu.................................................................................................................................. 11 Karen Pwo k’nat ............................................................................................................................ 12 Other plucked lutes....................................................................................................................... 12 Thai sueng ..................................................................................................................................... 13 Padaung guitar .............................................................................................................................. 17 banjo ............................................................................................................................................. 18 Bowed instruments ........................................................................................................................... 18 Red Lahu teu hae .......................................................................................................................... 18 Karen sii saw ................................................................................................................................. 18 Hmong xim saus (nkao lao nja) ..................................................................................................... 19 Khamu tnheek ............................................................................................................................... 20 Thai salaw ..................................................................................................................................... 20 Padaung violin ............................................................................................................................... 21 Phono fiddle .................................................................................................................................. 23 Aerophones ........................................................................................................................................... 23 Flutes ................................................................................................................................................. 24 Lisu jyylae teu ................................................................................................................................ 24 (Hmong traa pulay; Karen puloei) ................................................................................................. 24 Akha chulu ..................................................................................................................................... 26 Mien hao dong ngo ....................................................................................................................... 28 Kachin larung sum hkrang ............................................................................................................ 29 Khamu pii yang chu ....................................................................................................................... 29 Other Khamu duct flutes............................................................................................................... 31 Lisu double flute, Kachin pyi yep................................................................................................... 32 Lahu notch flute (lekhachui, taelaekui, totolae) ........................................................................... 32

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Khamu sror .................................................................................................................................... 34 side flute ....................................................................................................................................... 34 Khamu toot ................................................................................................................................... 35 Khamu suul.................................................................................................................................... 36 Lisu pilu (Lahu lae tu; Akha bau lau ; Kachin htu ren, nda tang) ................................................... 37 Other flutes ................................................................................................................................... 37 Karen, Padaung panpipes ............................................................................................................. 39 Khamu horr ................................................................................................................................... 41 Free reed instruments ...................................................................................................................... 42 Hmong traa nplai .......................................................................................................................... 42 The Palaung waou (also played by Shan, Kachin Jingpo (hkin taw sumpi) and Wa ...................... 44 Free reed horns (Karen kwae; Akha ya ja; also used by Lua and Khamu) ................................... 46 Lisu pali fulu (Lahu naw jyylae; Akha la jae) ................................................................................. 47 Lisu fulu lae lae (Lahu tolaemu) .................................................................................................... 49 Lisu fulu na o, Lahu naw seu ......................................................................................................... 49 Black Lahu naw kuma.................................................................................................................... 50 Hmong gheng ................................................................................................................................ 50 Thai/ Laotian khaen; Khamu sngkuul ............................................................................................ 51 Double reed instruments .................................................................................................................. 52 Mien dzat ...................................................................................................................................... 52 Kachin Jingpo pahke ...................................................................................................................... 52 Leaf ................................................................................................................................................ 53 Idioglottal reed instruments ............................................................................................................. 54 Hmong lei lei ................................................................................................................................. 54 Khamu pii koon rook ..................................................................................................................... 56 Khamu pii treuam.......................................................................................................................... 56 Akha mae lii mae lo ....................................................................................................................... 57 Other idioglottal instruments ....................................................................................................... 57 Horns and trumpets .......................................................................................................................... 58 Mien chorng; Akha chu du ............................................................................................................ 58 Khamu hur tlaa rung ..................................................................................................................... 58 Plucked idiophones ............................................................................................................................... 58 Tube zithers....................................................................................................................................... 58 Karen Pa O tiktung ........................................................................................................................ 58

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Karen Sgaw: paplaw ...................................................................................................................... 59 Karen Kayaw.................................................................................................................................. 59 Karen Kayah .................................................................................................................................. 60 Khamu bring .................................................................................................................................. 60 mouth harps ...................................................................................................................................... 62 Akha ja eu (Lisu magu; Lahu athra, ayee ; Palaung pasaguan; also played by Kachin, Kokang ... 62 Khamu hroong............................................................................................................................... 64 Karen sochay (wooden mouth harp) ............................................................................................ 65 Hmong nya (metal mouth harp), Mien gen chin .......................................................................... 65 Palaung pasaguan ......................................................................................................................... 66 Percussive idiophones........................................................................................................................... 67 Stamping tubes ................................................................................................................................. 67 Percussion sticks ............................................................................................................................... 69 Akha ho dii..................................................................................................................................... 70 Mien daing ga ............................................................................................................................... 71 The Khamu dau dau (thorr)........................................................................................................... 72 clappers (played by Akha) ............................................................................................................. 72 bells ................................................................................................................................................... 74 Mien ling; Lisu keuleu.................................................................................................................... 74 Mien clapperless bell ........................................................................................................................ 75 Bossed Gongs .................................................................................................................................... 75 Akha beuleu; Mien bo lor (large),bo mang (small); Khamu rbaang, moong, creeng; Lahu bulo ko ...................................................................................................................................................... 75 Unbossed gongs ................................................................................................................................ 77 Hmong jua neng; Lisu ma.............................................................................................................. 77 Hand cymbals (Akha che lae; Lahu shae; Mien chao jae; Karen chua; Khamu ceng; also played by Palaung, Kachin, Lantaen, Tai Lue and Tai Neua) ............................................................................. 77 Finger cymbals .................................................................................................................................. 78 Karen klo (Khamu yaan, rpal)............................................................................................................ 79 Mien Kim tsin (tsui gim) sistrum ....................................................................................................... 80 Membranophones ................................................................................................................................ 81 Goblet-shaped................................................................................................................................... 81 Karen der; Lahu jae gho; Akha thang; Khamu briing; also played by Palaung, Tai Lue ................ 81 Shan klawng buje .......................................................................................................................... 82

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures waisted .............................................................................................................................................. 82 Mien pang ..................................................................................................................................... 82 Mien long drums ........................................................................................................................... 83 Vessel ................................................................................................................................................ 83 Mien dzoe...................................................................................................................................... 83 Barrel drums ..................................................................................................................................... 84 Hmong jua duwa ........................................................................................................................... 84 cylindrical drums ............................................................................................................................... 85 Kachin chying; Wa ge luo; also played by the Pa O....................................................................... 86

Chordophones Harps Karen harp (tena, tenaku) The Karen arched harp has become a cultural icon for Karen people in Burma and Thailand.

Traditionally the Karen harp had 7 strings but it is now sometimes played with 6,8 or even more. The wooden chamber was covered originally with animal skin, now with metal. For the bow, a soft wood like mango or jack fruit is used. Originally the strings were made from the forest plant known in Sgaw Karen as chochyyna, a form of creeper. They are now made of metal, either guitar strings or brake cable. I do not know whether the Karen harp is the ancestor of the Burmese harp or was copied from it.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures The Karen harp, only played by men, is traditionally a courting instrument, the player usually accompanying his singing.

There are a number of standard tunings for the harp, the basic pitch depending on the vocal range of the musician. Each tuning is associated with a particular repertoire.

Usually the harp plays a regular rhythmic set of chords with a ‘trip’ note; sometimes it echoes the melody of the singer. In playing, it is cradled in the lap with the neck held out in the left hand, while the fingers of the right hand pluck the strings. An early tuning was probably EGABDE; nowadays D F#GAdf#, BbEbFAbBbD and DbGAbcDbF are more common.

Other harps A similar instrument is played by the Mon-Khmer pseaking Ca Tu people from the southern Laos and Vietnam. I have no idea where it came from.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

The instrument shown on the left (Lahu teusugoi) is believed to be played by Lahu men at New Year but this has not been confirmed. It has four strings with a halfgourd soundbox covered with monitor lizard skin. The stings are attached at one end to tuning pegs on a stick that passes through the gourd and at the other end to another stick passing through the gourd. Totally different from other instruments found in south east Asia, the origins of this harp are not known.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Lutes Fretless long-necked lute (Lisu tseubeu; Black Lahu saemu; Akha deuham; also played by the Kokang and Wa)

tseubeu

Lisu

The same instrument is used by the four group mentioned above, the music, however, being different. The instrument has three strings. The soundboard is traditionally made from python or monitor lizard skin; modern ones often use plastic. A pattern of holes is cut in the wooden back. It is plucked with a plectrum, traditionally made of the tip of a buffalo horn; nowadays it is sometimes made of plastic or wood. Strings used are now normally guitar strings (no 1). The instrument ranges in size from around 60 cms to over 90 cms. The Lisu and Lahu have several tunings, each associated with a particular repertoire.

Some common tunings are: ADa, Dda, CDa, AEa. Most competent tseubeu players would have a repertoire of around 30 ‘tunes’. It is played rhythmically with frequent 2 or 3 note chords. One string plays the melody, the others provide drones. Melodies are characterized by frequent sliding notes.

The Lisu tseubeu is one of the two instruments most commonly used to accompany dancing, especially at the New Year festivities, and most Lisu villages will have at least one player. Players are expected to play for up to 3 hours (occasionally more) non stop, the tseubeu playing chords to mark the rhythm with strong beats.

Sometimes several tseubeu players will join together; it may also play alongside free reed instrument players or accompany singing. It is less common in Akha music though traditionally it was used as a courting instrument to accompany a singer.

Lisu tseubeu player

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Lisu tseubeu maker at work.

The Lisu tseubeu in China sometimes has a wooden soundboard but I the only ones I have seen in Thailand were played by Haw Chinese musicians at a village cleansing ceremony.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Lisu four stringed fretless lute

Elongated oval or round body; played by Lisu in India and Kachin state Palaung ding

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Three strings, narrow wooden body, fretless. There are no holes in the resonator.

Traditionally played by men when courting, now the most common palaung instrument for entertainment. Normally played monophonically as a melody instrument with frequent use of the tremolo, either solo or to accompany singing. I have recorded two styles of accompaniment: in the first, the ding echoes the melody of the singer while in the second the player improvises almost independently of the sung part.

Tuning???

The Lahu teu

Fretless lute (short- or long-necked) with wooden body and five or six strings. Sounding board glued or screwed on to body. Sometimes two small holes on top of resonator, which can be square or rectangular.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Played by the Red Lahu solo or to accompany a free reed pipe or singer. As with most Lahu instruments, can be played either by men or women, the instrument often being placed on the player’s lap. Unusually, the strings are not stopped, the open strings being plucked singly like a harp. A typical tuning is FGBbCDG.

Karen Pwo k’nat A small short-necked lute with 3 to 5 strings. The sounding board is often metal. The instrument is played melodically rather like a mandoline, often echoing the melody of a love song.

Tai Neua lute Three string fretless lute with wooden body from Laos

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Lisu two-stringed lute Shaped like the Palaung dingand the Tai Neua lute; numerous holes on soundboard; played by the Lisu of the Kachin state bordering India

Thai sueng

vatritation on sueng made by Wa musician Karen sok gwae

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Played by the Palaung, Akha, Karen, Shan, Wa and Lua, the sueng is a four string fretted lute with a long neck and from four to seven frets. The body is made from single piece of hard wood.

The sounding board is of a hard wood attached with metal nails. The pegs, bridge and fretsare in a soft wood, the strings wire (often bicycle brake wires).

The Karen tune the strings in pairs, a fifth apart. The Palaung use it in processions to the temple or to accompany dancing and, in contrast with the ding, make frequent use of harmonies. In this respect it is played differently from Thai music, in which a musician will only pluck one pair of strings at a time producing monophonic melodies.

Palaung sueng player

Akha sueng Akha 3 string round bodied sueng

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Eng 2 string sueng

Ca Tu fretted lute

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Loven woman from southern Laos

Padaung guitar The Padaung have adopted a home-made version of the Western guitar as their main instrument to accompany singing and for use in ensembles for dancing. This has four strings with wooden tuning pegs and a large body. It is used for strumming chords. They sometimes make it in the shape of a flat-back mandolin, also with four strings. Traditionally, they played a three string instrument rather like the k’nat.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures banjo the banjo has found its way into several folk cultures, especially in Burma. This one was played by people of the Eng tribe

Bowed instruments Red Lahu teu hae The Red Lahu play a small 2 string spike fiddle, the teu hae, using as a bow a rough stick, often tinder wood from pine. The only one I have seen and recorded has an oblong sound box 16 x 9 cms , a nut and two frets positioned with beeswax. The lower string is tuned to Bb, the upper Eb. The body is similar in shape and construction to that of the teu.

The instrument is held vertically, the bow being moved between the two strings as both sides can sound the strings. The sound is faint and thin but apparently can be used to accompany the dance of a small group or for solo playing.

Karen sii saw A one string long necked spike fiddle. The bamboo soundbox is open at the top, the bottom often being carved. The string is tied at an angle from the nut to the long tuning peg. The bow was traditionally strung with women’s hair.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures The fiddle is played vertically, the spike resting on the player’s thigh.

The instrument was probably borrowed from the Northern Thai two string salaw.

Hmong xim saus (nkao lao nja) Traditionally the Hmong two string spike fiddle has a finely carved dragon head and a beakershaped wooden resonator covered with snake skin. (The Hmong term used in Thailand means ‘old song mouth harp’). It no doubt originated from the Chinese huqin family. Sometimes one of the two strings is run through the bow so that each side of the horsehair sounds one string.

A modern home-made instrument, the resonator consisting of a tin can. The instrument is normally played solo, traditionally for courting, now more often for entertainment.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Khamu tnheek

The tnheek can be played solo or to accompany singing.

The bow is sometimes used to strike the string or even the skin top of the resonator, making the instrument percussive rather than melodic. The instrument is very close to the Karen one string fiddle.

“One string spike fiddle; the body of the instrument is a short babmoo tube about 10cms long and 5 cms in diameter with a wooden neck about 45 cms long inserted diametically through the walls of the tube, leaving a short nub protruding at the bottom. The face is made from thin wood or the dried sheath of a banana leaf. A single string is strateched from the nub across a small wooden bridge and fastened to a tuning peg at the end of the neck. A cord is attached along the neck near the tuning peg to hold the string parallel to the neck. It is played with a small bow of hair or bamboo fibres stretched between two ends of a piece of bamboo”.

Thai salaw two string fiddle, played by the Lua. The resonator is a half coconut shell covered with thin wood. The strings are stopped against a rounded wooden pole. The player’s sitting position with the instrument held vertically, the spike resting on the floor, is normal.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Tai Neua two string fiddle Like the Thai saw: wooden bowl-shaped body with two strings, square neck.

The bowl is sometimes deeper , more like the shape of the Thai saw duang

Tai Neua sisaw The body is made from a buffalo horn; the neck is rounded with the head often carved.

The bow is made from a thin piece of bamboo and horse or buffalo hair. Two strings.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Tai Lue two string fiddles The bowl may be wooden and beaker-shaped or made from a coconut shell as in the salaw. Other materials, such as tin cans, are improvised for the bowl and the head can bear a variety of decorations

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Padaung violin The Padaung use a crude two string violin which they play either upright or horizontally, but not under the chin. The violin is flatbacked, strung with guitar strings and is made from rough wood pieces glued together. The sound box has a pattern of sound holes in the middle. The hairs of the bow are a piece of rough string and instead of resin they use a cigarette lighter to burn a tiny piece of wood on the violin then rub the bow in it. They play it mostly in ensembles along with a side flute, guitar and percussion.

Phono fiddle Horn violin (phono fiddle or Stroh violin).

Played by the Shan in ensembles with percussion. It was no doubt taken by the British to places such as Burma where it has survived in folk music.

It was no doubt taken by the British to Burma where it has survived in folk music.

Aerophones

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Flutes Lisu jyylae teu Duct flute typically @ 55 to 60 cm. long bamboo tube; U-shaped notch cut 12 cm. from the top on the upper side of the tube and a round wooden block pushed into the the tube to align with the top of the cut so that it directs the air from the player onto the bottom of the U. Blowing end left open.

6 finger holes on the upper side giving a chromatic scale, no thumb hole. It has a range of two octaves.

The jyylae teu (straight flute) is most often played to accompany dancing but can also play courting tunes or just used to while away the time.

Sometimes the Lisu flute has an extra hole on the underside of the tube covered by a membrane of thin plastic like the Thai khlui duct flute or the Chinese dizi transverse flute, adding a nasal quality to the sound.

This is apparently entirely at the discretion of the maker/player.

(Hmong traa pulay; Karen puloei; also played by several other ethnic groups)

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures This duct flute differs from the typical Lisu flute in that it has 7 finger holes on the upper side of the tube and a thumb hole on the underside; the notch is cut on the underside of the tube and the wooden block inserted at the top end of the tube.

A number of holes may be made at the bottom end to increase the volume and tie a string for decoration or carrying. The notch is rectangular and sloping.

commonly used by the Hmong for courting and it, too, has an elaborate vocabulary which it uses to ‘speak’. This Hmong musician first played a tune on his flute then he sang the same in Hmong to show me the words that the instrument was speaking, then he sang it again, translating into Thai for me to understand the meaning. The gist was that his heart was heavy as he was missing his girlfriend.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Khamu tersail Mouthpiece like that of the Hmong and Karen instruments above; number of finger holes varies; the instrument left is 34 cms long diameter 2cm. has one thumb hole and three irregularly spaced finger holes (20, 26 and 29 cms from the top respectively) giving the basic notes of ….

Akha chulu Typically about 72 cms. long made from a thick cane. An oval holes is cut about 10 cm. from the top just above the natural node of the bamboo.

A thin piece of cane is attached by twine above this hole. A second oval hole is made on the lower side of the node. The air leaves the first chamber by the upper hole and is then directed by the wedge into the main body of the instrument. The top of the flute is open. The bottom is partially closed by another natural node, a small circular hole being made in the middle to allow the sound to exit. Two finger holes are made 9 and 17cm. from the bottom (these figures vary according to the overall length of the flute which may vary either way by about 10cm.)

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures The player uses the first finger of the left hand to cover the top hole and the thumb of the right hand to close the lower hole. The first finger of the right hand is then used to close the bottom end of the flute, normally lowering the pitch. A whole series of notes can be obtained by overblowing Traditionally played as a courting instrument but now used for entertainment. I recorded a musician playing a tune to his girl-friend hoping she will have sweet dreams.

The Akha in Laos play a larger type of chulu which has an external blowing tube fixed at a 45 degree angle to the body of the instrument to allow the player to reach the two finger holes.

Played only for funerals, it is kept outside the house, under the roof, and must not be taken inside. Its melody guides the dead person to his new country.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Mien hao dong ngo about 28 cm. long 1.7 cm. diameter. A similar mechanism to the Akha chulu but located at the top of the instrument. 7 finger holes plus thumb hole.

As the Mien have few melodic instruments the hao dong ngo is used on several occasions: for courting, to accompany dancing at festivities and for entertainment. It is also used by shaman along with percussion in ceremonies to honour the spirits, the instrument being burned after the ceremony as a gift to the spirits.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Kachin larung sum hkrang a long 4 finger hole duct flute with the blowing hole on an external pipe, parallel to the main body of the instrument as in the Bolivian moxena.

Khamu pii yang chu

Thin bamboo tube with a simple external duct made by splitting a protruding piece of the bamboo. The two split pieces are separated by another thin strip of bamboo.

These flutes are usually long and have four finger holes plus one thumb. The player rests the upper rim of the instrument on the lower lip and the air is then directed through the narrow passage between the two plates of split bamboo and on to the sounding edge.

The sound is very quiet and they can be used solo, traditionally as a courting instrument or to play a loosely connected accompaniment to a singer.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Khamu flute with external duct (toot) toot “The body of the instrument is a bamboo tube @ 50 cm. long and 1.5 cm. in diameter; 3 finger holes are cut at the “tail” end, which is left open. As mouthpiece, a smaller bamboo tube @ .5 cm. in diameter is attached to the body. The player blows air through this tube towards a blade at the farther end of an aperture cut into the larger tube”.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Other Khamu duct flutes “ring-stop flute (toot). A length of bamboo @ 80 cm. long and 3 cm. in diameter with both ends open but an intermediary node about 10 cm. from the mouth end. A duct is cut straddling the node and then pitch or beeswax is used to cover most of the opening, so that the air passes over the short tube end, over the remaining node wall and is then directed toward a blade cut at the farther end of the aperture”. The basic notes are deep and very quiet, overblowing produces a over two octaves”. Smaller instruments with the same sound-producing mechanism are also played.

Khamu trrvurl the notch is sometimes made to straddle the natural node in the bamboo tube. Alternatively, a small round hole is made in the node allowing air to pass through.

Beeswax may be stuck above the notch to direct the air more accurately. Three finger holes, no thumb hole.

A V-shaped piece of bamboo may be cut and attached to beeswax to help produce the sound

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

.

Lisu double flute, Kachin pyi yep The Kachin instrument has 6 finger holes on the melody pipe and none on the drone pipe. The Lisu instrument appears to have 3 finger holes.

Lisu

Lahu notch flute (lekhachui, taelaekui, totolae) a thin bamboo tube open at both ends (the length varies from 20 cm. to 60 cm.) with from 2 to 5 finger holes (no thumb hole). A notch is cut at the top of the tube- both this notch and the finger holes are rectangular.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures They have a soft sweet breathy sound and are mostly played solo, traditionally for courting when they could join in an antiphonal duet, the men playing the flute, the girl singing in reply. As was often the case, the phrases played by the flute corresponded to phrases in speech. They are still popular for entertainment. Like most other Lahu instruments they can be played by men or women.

Black Lahu musician Red Lahu woman playing notch flute

Khamu notch flute (tot) played by the Khmu of Northern Laos, especially around Phongsali and Xieng Khouang provinces. left index finger is on the upper hole. The right index finger is on the second hole. Played by women.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Khamu sror freshly cut bamboo tube open at both ends.

The top end is cut in a V-shape and a U-shaped notch is made just under an inch from the top.

Short ones are about 18” long, larger ones around 78 cm. Shorter ones have a thumb hole and one or two finger holes; the player also stops the end of the tube to change the note. The longer one has only one hole and is closed at the bottom end.

side flute (Lisu jyylae baka; Lahu ja dae; Akha meli; Hmong dra jua; Karen pi ou; also played by the Kachin, Kokang, Padaung, Tai Lue and formerly the Mien). Instruments are closed at one end with a wooden block or the node of the bamboo. The side flute is less common than the duct flute. The Kachin, Kokang and Padaung play it in ensembles when accompanying dancing at festivities, the others solo for entertainment. Normally side flutes have 6 pitch holes (fingers); the Akha version has 5.

Side flute players

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Kachin

Lisu

Lahu

Padaung

The Kachin have a range of side flutes: sum pyi (6), pyi htawt (4), w.psumpyi (6), larung sum pyi (long,4). Apart from the number of finger holes (in brackets) I have no other details.

Khamu toot open at both ends, two finger holes. . A characteristic of flute playing is the simultaneous humming or whispering of the performer.

Traditionally it was played by women to answer a call made by a man with a mouth harp. She would hum or whisper words while playing, using the flute as a resonating chamber.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Khamu suul closed by the node of the bamboo at both ends. This has one finger hole (identical in shape to the blowing hole) close to the end of the instrument and overblowing gives it a wide range of harmonics.

Khamu central embouchure flute 3 hole suul Thick bamboo tube @ 90cms. long 2 cm. diameter closed by a node at both ends (each node about 4cm. from the outer end; a round blowing hole cut in the middle and round or oval holes cut 4 cms. from each end stopped with the forefinger. The flute is held horizontally and closing one or both of the finger holes produces differing sets of harmonics.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Lisu pilu (Lahu lae tu; Akha bau lau ; Kachin htu ren, nda tang) Central embouchure overtone flute. The pilu is made from a long thin tube of bamboo about 75cms long and 1.5 cms in diameter. A square notch is cut one inch off centre and the instrument is side blown. There are no finger holes but the player uses thumbs or fingers to stop one or both of the two ends of the flute as well as playing it unstopped. The pitch is also changed by overblowing . The tone is rich in harmonics. Anthony Baines in "Woodwind Instruments and Their History’ concluded “ Thus with the harmonics, the player has a useful pentatonic scale, b'',c'''#,e''',f'''#,g'''#,b'''. A typical range for the flutes I have tried is: Lisu embouchure Both ends open GGDG Left end closed AAbECGB Right end closed AAEAEA Both ends closed AbEbCFBb

Akha embouchure The flute is held with palms under and the thumbs are used to stop the open bore ends. The pilu is one of only two instruments that Lisu women play.

I was told they were used by men or women to attract a mate; if the hole is in the centre the sound is apparently not as good and the instrument thus less effective. Many of the men and women over 60 that I have met talk animatedly of using the pilu to attract a mate; among younger people it is unheard of.

Lisu woman playing pilu

Other flutes There is apparently a Lisu nose flute (jyylae nakfo) but I have not seen it.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Kayah man playing a Chinese koudi. This instrument is like a miniature pilu with 4 finger holes of different sizes. I have not come across any tradition of playing them in Karen peoples.

They are, however, also played by the Phu Noi in Laos.

Lisu acheu (whistles) short duct flutes @ 10 cm. long 1 cm. in diameter, wooden with 2 or three finger holes and one thumb hole. Use by children for their own amusement (traditionally also used for courting).

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Karen, Padaung panpipes Both the Karen Pwo and Padaung play panpipes for the New Year festivities. Pentatonically tuned tubes are sorted into groups of 3,4 or 5 and distributed among the men.

Fresh bamboo tubes are cut, stopped at the bottom end by the natural node. Here a Padong man is making and tuning the pipes cutting the blowing edges with a huge machete.

Pwo Karen panpipe duet. The Pwo Karen play them in pairs (male and female), one set consisting of 6 pipes (the female) and one of five.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Similar panpipes are also played in southern Laos by the Ca Tu people.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Khamu horr 5 long bamboo tubes (four closed at the bottom by a node, one open) are tied in a bundle. The player holds the instrument away from the mouth and blows gently into it rather than across the tubes, trilling with the tongue “producing a gentler sound almost as if it was the wind blowing”. It is played by women for their own enjoyment- the sound is barely loud enough to carry to a listener more than a few inches away. A similar instrument with 13 pipes is played by the Gia Rai in Vietnam.

Khamu ocarina

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Free reed instruments brass free reed from Hmong qeng

Hmong traa nplai

The tube is made from dried bamboo in a variety of sizes with from 5 to 7 holes including a thumb hole. A rectangular hole is cut at one end and a small bamboo or brass frame containing a free reed is inserted. The player normally uses the lips to create a seal around the reed or, on smaller instruments, inserts the top of the instrument into the mouth. A section of bamboo, gourd or plastic is placed at the lower end as a resonator. The instrument can be held parallel to the mouth (side-blown) or at right angles to it. The instrument has a range of an octave as overblowing is not possible. The reed is sounded by the player exhaling so ciruclar breathing is necessary to keep the flow of the music. Exceptionally as here, the reed can be covered with a piece of gourd or glass so that it is played indirectly, making a softer more uniform sound.

Traditionally used for courting, it could also conveniently be taken into to the fields to play while relaxing. It is played as a speech surrogate, phrases played by the instrument corresponding to stock phrases of speech. Similar to the northern Thai pi jum but whereas the latter is played in ensembles, the traa nplai is exclusively a solo instrument.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Hmong musician from Luang Prabang, Laos, playing a bass traa nplai.

Photograph Nicholas Poss

Tai Dam pee lua noi About 30 cms. long with brass free reed inserted about 1 inch from the top. Endblown rather than side blown. Played along with a singer for entertainment. 5 finger holes one thumb. The reed is protected with a small strip of bamboo bent over it.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Tai Dam pee lua luang About 160 cms. long, 6 finger holes plus thumb. The player normally stops only the top three finger holes and the thumb holes. The instruments is still played when performing a ceremony to heal a sick person and cannot be played in the village unless used for this purpose. There is an extra hole above the finger holes which is surrounded by beeswax and across which the musician fixes a thin piece of tissue paper or garlic skin to produce a buzzing tone. When not being played this can be protected with a paper shield.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Tai Dam pee This instrument appears to be about 1m. long and to have two finger holes, one about 15 cm from the top, the second just over half way down the instrument. The player uses a mixture of normal and overblowing to produce a high register with occasional deep notes.

Tai Lue pee The Tai Lue use only one side of free reed pipe, about 35-40 cms in length made from a thick bamboo with the diameter about 2cms and the inner holes 1 cm. 6 finger holes plus the thumb, the instrument being tunes with holes of uneven size Like the pee lua noi it is often played along with a singer at festive occasions. The ones I have seen played are however sideblown .

Palaung waou (also played by Shan, Kachin Jingpo (hkin taw sumpi) and Wa

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures This instrument is an end-blown free reed pipe with gourd windchest and one or more drones.

It is made by inserting a flute-like tube with finger holes into a gourd along with one or more drones, each pipe having a free reed in it. Some are made locally, others are hulusi bought from China. Its soft notes make it an ideal courting instrument and it is also played in the fields when taking a break from planting or harvesting. The reed has to be sounded by exhaling not inhaling so players use circular breathing to avoid gaps in the melody. In both instruments, the drone can be "switched off" by plugging the end of the pipe and like the bawu, additional melodic pitches can be played by cross-fingering and half-holing.

Overblowing is not possible so the range of the melody pipe is an octave. Usually played solo, the Palaung also use it with the ding to accompany dancing.

Free reed horns (Karen kwae; Akha ya ja; also used by Lua and Khamu) Brass free reeds are inserted into a hole cut at the thin end of animal horns. Both ends of the horn are open. The reed is often surrounded by a mixture of beeswax and charcoal to provide a mouthpiece. The notes are made by alternately blowing and sucking. The player can stop the large end of the horn with one hand and the small end with the thumb to change the pitch and timbre and create a rhythmic effect. The instrument can be made from a deer horn, elephant tusk or buffalo horn; the Karen horn for people with the highest status, only allowed to leaders or shamans of communities over 30 households, is made from the beak of a hornbill.

Wooden horns were also used.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

The Lua use them to call the spirits before a ceremony. With the Karen the prime function is a call to the harvest or as men were walking to the harvest at dawn, to frighten away tigers. The Karen also play them with gongs and other percussion for a type of sword dance performed on occasions such as weddings. They also enable young women to assess the strength of the player as they’re particularly hard to blow. Traditionally the Lamet blew them to frighten away the spirit of a gaur that has been trapped. The Khamu form was used by the shaman.

Lisu pali fulu (Lahu naw jyylae; Akha la jae) 5 pipes of different sizes (the size determining the pitch), each containing a free reed and with one finger hole, set in a gourd. Each pipe makes a separate note when this hole is stopped so the instrument can play chords.

Both ends of the tubes are open and the lower end protrudes 1 cm or so out of the gourd.

These protruding ends are surrounded with beeswax so that they can be stopped by the thumb. The gourd is also sealed with beeswax to make it airtight. Players can both suck and blow (so circular breathing is not needed to keep the music flowing continuously) and bend or change notes with the thumb by stopping the hole at the bottom of each pipe.

Instruments vary in size, a typical size being max pipe length 60 cms.– min pipe length 36cms.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures tuned to an anhemitonic pentatonic scale and uses simple drone polyphony. After the tseubeu it is the most common Lisu instrument and is also ubiquitous among the Red and Black Lahu.

It is most often used to accompany dancing, usually solo but also in loose combination with tseubeu or other pali fulu players. The Red Lahu play it to accompany a singer and the Akha use it in ensembles along with percussion to accompany a chorus.

Dance music is rhythmic, the deep pipe sounds throughout the whole tune, and the melody part is played on the other four pipes.

Occasionally a tone is sustained and a chord of 3 of more notes made. There are around 30 different dancing ‘tunes’ in the pali fulu repertoire. Courting music is slower with a free rhythm and rich harmonies.

Fingering...

Akha la jae player The Akha one I have (called la yae) is tuned to ADEF#A. When the bottom hole of each pipe is stopped with the thumb the notes are GBDEG (ie the notes are lowered by one tone except for the D pipe which Is lowered two tones).

Black Lisu pali fulu player

Red Lahu naw jyylae player The five pipes of the small Lahu reed organ (naw) I have are tuned DbEbAbFAb. When the bottom hole of each pipe is stopped with the thumb the notes are then BbDF#EG. The three small reed organs of the Lahu, Lisu and Akha can be used interchangeably. The fingering is the same in the three groups:

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Lisu fulu lae lae (Lahu tolaemu) The fulu lae lae, Larsen pointed out, is tuned to a hemiphonic pentatonic scale not often found in SE Asia. The lowest pipe has no finger hole and provides a constant drone. An open bamboo tube is placed on top of the longest pipe as a resonator. One I recorded was tuned AGE D C#. Mine is tuned Eb (drone) AbBbDbEb. When the pipes are stopped with the thumb underneath, they give DbF#AbCD. A falling riff of e.g. F E flat C B flat A is repeated throughout most music.

Played to accompany dancing.

Lisu fulu lae lae player

Lisu fulu na o, Lahu naw seu only 2 pipes below the gourd and only 1 open for ornamentation (in mine all pipes are closed at the protruding end). A drone is played throughout. They are tuned to 4 note scale with octave doubling. Mine is tuned C#F#BC#F. One I recorded is tuned A flat G E flat D E flat. A falling riff consisting of Aflat, G, E flat (or an equivalent) is repeated over and over again. played to accompany dancing.

This is the least popular of the reed organs as the sound does not carry and it takes more energy to blow.

Lisu fulu na o player

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Black Lahu naw kuma pipes as long 2 metres produce a deep gruff sound. The Lahu regard it with great respect as traditionally it was needed to attract the attention of the spirits before a ceremony.

One of the few Lahu instruments only played by men. A similar instrument, the touanrr, is played by the Oi people of Laos and several minority groups in China have similar instruments.

Hmong gheng 6 bamboo pipes set in a wooden wind chest with a long tapering neck ending in a mouth hole which is often covered by a removable stopper. This wooden section is made from two identical pieces of mahogany bound together with straps. The six bamboo tubes are variously curving or straight. Each has a single hole for fingering above the wind chest and a metal free reed over a hole in the pipe enclosed within the wind chest. For extra volume the lowest tube, the thickest and shortest one, often contains two or three reeds. The players are not able to use their thumb to change the notes. The gheng pipes are played horizontally and the overall length of the instrument varies from two to five feet, depending on the skill and the preference of the player.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures The qen is in a sense an icon for Hmong culture and plays a major part in several Hmong ceremonies including weddings, New Year celebrations and funerals when it guides the soul on its journey. It is an important means of communicating with the spirit world but may also be used for example to welcome a guest or for entertainment. The qen too translates words into music; as it can play several notes at once the messages it conveys are highly complex. . In much instrumental music the player is required to dance while laying or perform certain movements (not always so acrobatic) and many find it hard to play while staying still or sitting. It is a solo instrument or played in pairs without the accompaniment either of other musical instruments or singing, although it can be intermittently accompanied by drums at a funeral.

Thai/ Laotian khaen; Khamu sngkuul raft-shaped free reed organ used extensively in Issan and Lao folk music. 7, 8 or 9 pairs of bamboo tubes of varying lengths, each tube pitched differently in a pentatonic scale. The section of the tubes containing the reed is enclosed in a wooden chamber. The instrument has been adopted by some Laotian Khamu groups who play it to accompany singing or solo in a more gentle style than that of Thai and Laotian khaen music. One member of the forest-dwelling Mlabri tribe who was moved to the lowlands learned it by listening to radio from Laos and has composed songs in the traditional language. It remains to be seen whether it will be adopted by that ethnic group.

Khamu sngkuul player Mlabri khaen player

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Double reed instruments Mien dzat essentially the same instrument as the Northern Thai nae noi. The mouthpiece consists of three pieces: a reed, a blowing shield and a metal tube wrapped in string. The reed is quadruple or sextuple and now made from a dried palm leaf (traditionally it was made from the chrysalis of small insect which lives inside the tamarind seed pod). The body is usually made of teak and has 7 finger holes. A detachable brass bell acts as resonator.

The player takes the reed into his mouth and rests his lips against the shield.

The player uses circular breathing to sustain the melody.

The dzat is the main instrument of the Mien people and is played along with a percussion ensemble for all ceremonies and festivities. It is usually decorated with brightly coloured straps and tassles.

Kachin Jingpo pahke

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures The Kachin use a longer shawm (pahke), made out of a single piece of wood without a detached bell or blowing shield. The bell is an integral extension of the conical tube and both bell and cylindrical body are turned from the same piece of wood, as in the Afghan surnai or the Turkish zurna. The instrument is in two sections and the greater length gives it a lower pitch.

It is played accompanied by percussion for festivals such as the manau festivals. It is sometimes made with a curved end.

Leaf

Black Lahu leaf player

In all groups it is traditional to play tunes on a leaf- often a mango leaf, sometimes peach. I have recorded Shan, Lisu, Lahu, Akha, Hmong, Lua, and Tai Neua including a Lua ensemble with strings and a leaf.

They were often used to call friends or family while in the forest or for courting. Lao Yang describes the way the Hmong use the leaf: “Leaf blowing is like the telephone we use today. Sometimes it is the only way to communicate with a friend who farms on another mountain. There is a leaf blowing language that you must know in order to communicate. .. You must understand basic tunes about missing each other, wanting to see each other.”

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Idioglottal reed instruments Hmong lei lei made from a narrow thin bamboo tube with the vibrating reed cut at the top. It has five finger holes and is about 30 cms. long. The instrument shown on the left was made from freshly cut undried bamboo with square finger holes cut in the tube. A piece of gourd is sometimes attached to the lower end as a resonator.

Hmong lei lei player. The instrument is traditionally used for courting. It is played at right angles to the mouth with the reed fully inserted in the mouth and produces a soft reedy tone, quieter than its free reed cousin.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Tai Dam pee pap

Thin bamboo tube @ 27 cms long diameter just under 1 cm. 6 finger holes one thumb.

Traditionally a courting instrument.

Khamu pii The Khamu use a range of different idioglottal reed instruments. The simplest consists of a very thin bamboo tube, about .5 cm. in diameter. At one end an incision about 2 cms. long .2 cm. wide makes the idioglottal reed, the cut being made at the lower end. Four rectangular finger holes and one thumb hole.

The mouth covers the entire reed portion- when blown gently produces out of tune squeaks, but when the player blows with more strength a lower set of notes is sounded. Played solo or to accompany singing.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Khamu pii koon rook The Khamu have a range or idioglottal reed instruments. The pii koon rook shown here consists of two bamboo tubes, the upper one smaller in diameter and holding the uppercut reed. The lower section has four finger holes. It can be played solo or in loose combination with singers.

Khamu pii treuam consists of two short idioglottal reed pipes which are played simultaneously, one having no finger holes (the drone) and the other 3 finger holes plus thumb hole.

pii treuam finger holes

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Akha mae lii mae lo small (10 to 15 cm. long) with 3 finger holes, the reed cut at the end stopped by a node.

Made from fresh forest bamboo and played by young women mostly under 15 for entertainment. Discarded after use.

Other idioglottal instruments Khamu variants included on CD pii toot ngo’: two-holed thin pipe about 15cms. long played by women pii ?: approximately 20 cm. long and less than a centimetre in diameter; the tongue end is stopped with the node of the bamboo; an upcut percussion reed is cut near the stopped end with a thumb hole and four finger holes near the open tail end. pii ta’laen: single tube approximately 1 cm in diameter, stopped at the tongue end; separate resonator from a piece of bamboo about 5cm. long and 2.5cm. in diameter pii rmblaang: 70-80 cm. long, conical bore made by fitting numerous short lengths of bamboo into pieces of larger diameter; 3 finger holes Kachin pyi man I’m guessing this Kachin instrument is a double idioglottal reed instrument, the smaller pipe providing a drone. They appear to have 4 or 5 finger holes on the melody pipe.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Horns and trumpets Mien chorng; Akha chu du also used by Tai Lue, Lantaen and, formerly, Lisu

end-blown buffalo horn, the end sawn off and filed to make a smooth mouthpiece Traditionally by the Mien used as part of numerous rituals, especially to call the spirits before a ceremony. Played by teh Akha to summon people to a ceremony.

Khamu hur tlaa rung Blowing tube, a 2 metre long bamboo tube open at both ends. The player sets the air in motion by alternately blowing, humming and singing into the tube. Played by women.

Plucked idiophones Tube zithers Idiochordal bamboo tube zithers are found most commonly amongst the various Karen peoples, the Khamu and the Shan.

Karen Pa O tiktung consists of a hollow bamboo tube about 55 cms. long cut to leave a node at each end. 4- 8 idiochordal ‘strings’ are cut from the skin of the bamboo remaining connected at both ends near the nodes and then raised with movable bamboo bridges, allowing the strings to be tuned. Some can be separated with a flat piece of thin wood.

Pa O tiktung

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures The ‘strings’ are plucked, the player often using a small bamboo plectrum. It’s played to

accompany singing and dancing

Karen Sgaw: paplaw

4- 8 strings. As each end of the tube is closed , the bamboo is often split to allow the sound to carry.

Karen Kayaw eight strings, plucked. The one I have seen measured 44 cms with 8 strings and movable wooden bridges at each end.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Provides a delicate rhythmic accompaniment to love songs.

Karen Kayah Kayah men making a tube zither. The instrument can be plucked with the finger but is normally struck with bamboo sticks.

Khamu bring Several types of Khamu idiochordal tube zither are found, varying according to the region and the subgroup. The instruments also vary according to the type of bamboo used, leading to them being given different names. Like most Khamu instruments, they are made from freshly cut bamboo for a particular occasion and often discarded once played.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures The one shown here was made by the Khamu Rok group in Luang Namtha, the body being about 40cms. long and 9 in diameter. It has two strings only, resting on two wide movable bridges and separated by a thin piece of bamboo making a membrane, the strings lodged in a groove cut at each end. The strings are bound at each end with thin cane. a 2-3 cm. square aperture is cut midway along the length.

The strings are struck with a thin bamboo beater, causing the string and the membrane to vibrate above the airhole.

Unlike the Karen zithers, this type of instrument (whcih could be called more properly tube dulcimers rather than zither) is made from bamboo tubes that are open at each end. One end is held to the player’s body to increase resonance; the other end is alternately opened and closed by the player’s hand to provide a sort of swooping vibrato effect. The instrument is more percussive than melodic. Other Khamu instruments are made with closed nodes and strings can be plucked as well as struck. Sometimes the body of the instrument is struck, as well as the membrane or strings to imitate the sound of gongs or drums.

The idiochordal tube zither is also played by the small Sagai tribe in the south of Thailand (as it is by related peoples in Malaysia). It is here beaten with a stick.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Bamboo zithers are also played by the Lawae people of southern Laos.

mouth harps Most of the ethnic cultures of Thailand, Burma and Laos use moth harps, traditionally for courting.

Apart from the Karen, who play it more melodically, it is usually played to reproduce speech patterns and send often coded messages rather than simply playing tunes. They are the only instrument that in all peoples women are allowed to play.

Akha ja eu (Lisu magu; Lahu athra, ayee ; Palaung pasaguan; also played by Kachin, Kokang

bamboo mouth harps played either singly or in pairs (especially Lahu) or in threes (Kokang). Sometimes three or more mouth harps may be played simultaneously by a Lisu or Lahu musician.

Plucking the frame causes the tongue, which is cut from the same piece of bamboo, to vibrate.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Lahu and Lisu instruments differ from those of the Akha in havnig a pointed spike rather than a square plucking tip and being made of thinner bamboo.

Kokang

Lisu magu Lahu mouth harps are most often played in pairs and are attached to each other by a common string that ends at a bamboo carrying case. Instruments tuned a fifth apart (athra) were used for intimate conversations between young people, and taken up after the couple used the naw to get acquainted. Instruments tuned a fourth apart (ayee) were used by older people to rekindle the feelings of youth, and for divorced or widowed people to attract a new mate. The higher pitched of the pair is considered the female instrument and the lower the male. They performed a musical code with each note corresponding to a spoken syllable but nowadays their language would be understood by very few listeners.

Traditionally, the Akha also use the ya yuu to speak to a lover. In one tune I recorded the player explained that he was telling his girl friend he’s lonely standing outside and getting bitten by mosquitoes. In this instance I had to lend

Lisu magu. Similar to the Lahu instrument and played either individually or in sets up to 5 simultaneously. Traditionally young girls wore

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures the musician a mouth harp. There was a woman in the village who made them. But after trying all the instruments she had made (about a dozen) he declared them ‘unfit for purpose’. By chance I had in my pocket a mouth harp which I bought over 20 years ago in the Night Bazaar in Chiang Rai. As soon as he tried it his face lit up‘this is a real one’ he said and this is the one I recorded.

them one their belt, one for each month of the year.

Khamu hroong (thaleu)-bamboo mouth harp The Khamu have a variety of mouth harps, the most common is made from bamboo and is shaped like the Cambodian instrument with a long handle. Both have the tongue recessed when viewed from the playing side with a thin strip stretching under the frame at the thinner end of the tongue to allow freer vibrations.

Whereas the Cambodian mouth harp has a flat tip, that of the Khamu instrument is pointed.

hroong thaleu means ‘single mouth harp’

Khamu hroong(thaleu)metal mouth harp Shape similar to the Hmong mouth harp

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Karen sochay (wooden mouth harp) As well as being used for courting the Karen Sgaw traditionally play the mouth harp to call the soul of another person. This has one of two purposes- the first being to help heal someone, the second being to gain control over them. They apparently also make the mouth harps from the ribs of umbrellas but I have never seen this. In the hands of a skilful layer can produce a range of clear harmonics and play tunefully as well as rhythmically, so it is often used just for entertainment with friends or to relax between working in the fields.

Below” Karen wooden mouth harp and case

Hmong nya (metal mouth harp), Mien gen chin Metal mouth harps are also played by the Lisu and Khamu but I have not found any instruments.

The Hmong instrument is made of a single sheet of brass, whose thickness varies from handle to tip. the blade often thins down to less than a millimeter. The tongue and the frame are separated by a hairline incision, which typically outlines three points. The central point is the longest, ending near the handle, and the base of the tongue is closest to the tip, which is strummed.

Sometimes there are two tongues for extra volume.

The instrument is played by putting the thin metal blade of the instrument up against, and between the upper, and lower lips, (unlike Western mouth harps, which are played between the teeth) and plucking the blade to produce vibrations. The vibrations of the blade manipulate the lip and mouth cavity to produce a kind of masked combination of speech and music

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures The mouth harp as a speech surrogate is best seen in the Hmong ncas, which can communicate all the Hmong vowels and some consonants.

“A boy would come to the house of a girl in the night and the two would pass the ncas back and forth through the holes in the bedroom wall. The quiet tone of the instrument allowed for long romantic conversations without waking the rest of her family.”

In one tune the player declares his love and promises to jump across the widest river to be with his beloved. The bamboo cases that house the instrument are not only for physical protection but to ward off evil spirits that might harm the instrument and the player.

Palaung pasaguan

Stands out from other mouth harps of the area by being heteroglottal and held between the teeth inside the mouth with only the tip of the lamella protruding.. Remarkabe for its small size- frame 3 cms. long but nevertheless with a similar pitch to longer bamboo instruments.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Khamu hroong peun The hroong peun (multiple mouth harp) is identical to that played by the Yi in China, consisting of three individual instruments attached at one end and pulled out like a fan so that the player can move easily from one to another. The instruments are tuned a tone apart, I was told that the best instruments are made from metal from the M16 assault rifle.

Percussive idiophones Stamping tubes Akha bau chung, Khamu dong, also used by Tai Dam and Lisu bamboo tubes ranging from @ 80x8 cm. to 110x8 cm.

Traditionally Akha women beat them on a pigs’ trough or a sounding board (tei bia). The tradition springs from the custom of bringing food to the pigs in bamboo tubes.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures The tubes are pounded on a piece of wood on ceremonial occasions such as welcoming visitors, celebrating the New Year or praying for a successful rice harvest. The tubes can accompany singing and dancing and are often joined by other percussion instruments.

The Khamu also use them in festivities such as when buffaloes are sacrificed. The tubes are @150x 6-8 cm. cut from fresh bamboo.One node is left near the bottom of the tubes, the others being knocked out.

They are usually played in groups of three and are let fall in a loose synchronisation. The tubes used are similar to those for carrying water.

Tai Dam decorated bamboo beaters

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Lisu ……….. are used in several ceremonies. Bamboo tubes are cut from 15 to 24 inches above a natural note and played in pairs, tuned a fourth or a fifth apart.

Percussion sticks used by Shan, Kayah, Mlabri, Htin, Akha, Khamu

Mlabri musicians short bamboo tubes- the hollow ends are struck together to give a low-pitched sound and accompany singing.

In the Shan instrument a node is left at one end, the other end being open and part of the wall of the tube cut away. The tubes, often tuned a third apart, are struck together while the player executes an acrobatic dance.

In the Htin harvest ceremony held in August, a group of musicians (women from the village) beat short bamboo together to accompany a dance. No other instruments are used and there is no singing. There are five different rhythms each associated with a different dance. The Hrin people I spoke to told me that this was the only traditional music of the Htin in Thailand..The bamboo sticks are cut fresh each year and they must not be played outside the festival. Those that are not broken or destroyed are hung from a banana plant and regarded as sacred (even by Christian Htin).

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Akha ho dii also traditionally used by the Khamu (Lamet) bamboo tubes, closed by the natural nodes (?), struck with wooden sticks, making a deep note. A groove is cut in the middle of the tube with, in the larger tubes, two round holes to project the sound.

Made and played by hunters returning to their village to announce a successful kill. The first one, the smallest, is held vertically, the others are slung round the neck and held horizontally.

Izikowitz reports that these beaters were used both by Akha Pouli and Khamu (Lamet) after a kill to ward off the spirits of the slain animal. The shape he shows, however, is that of a bamboo tube the lower end of which has been cut out in the form of a long tongue.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Khamu kaltun Bamboo tube about 60cm. long closed by the node at one end, with the upper half cut away ending in a U-shaped edge; struck with a short wooden stick. Played on festive occasions alongside gongs and other percussion.

Mien daing ga played in merit making ceremonies by shaman’s assistants. burned after ceremony.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Khamu dau dau (thorr) The instrument combines the character of an idiophone with that of an aerophone. It is found in parts of insular southeast Asia but in the mainland only amongst the Khamu. A piece of fresh bamboo 50-70 cm. long is trimmed with the bottom end 1015 cm. below a node. Two blades are cut above the node. In some Khamu groups the node is left closed, in others it is open. A thumb hole and finger hole are cut on opposite sides of the tube.

The tube is held against the thigh or arm and this along with the finger/thumb holes allows the player to control the overtones.

Striking the tube makes a regular rhythm and the overtones add a mouth harp like quality to the sound. clappers (played by Akha) bamboo clappers made from a single stalk of bamboo, from which two prongs have been cut. The ‘prongs’ are clapped together to accentuate the beat, like the northern Thai khanab.

Scrapers: Khamu kra-at

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Bamboo tube about 90 cm. long closed by a node at one end, the end with the node cut open; a broad slit 1 inch wide cut in @ three quarters of the length of the tube and on either side of it an incision is made in the tube’s surface producing the distinctive rasping sound.

The instrument is scraped with a stick with a row of indentations.

The kra-at is played along with the kaltun gongs and possibly other percussion instruments at festival times. The Khamu seem to be the only people in this region to use scrapers

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

bells Mien ling; Lisu keuleu Bells with clappers are commonly used by Mien shamans. These bells are usually decorated with patterns and figures that bear witness to their importance in rituals. They are used during ceremonies sometimes with the aim of summoning the spirits.

Below: Lisu keuleu

Lantaen bells used by the shaman in ceremonies. The clapper is often an old silver coin.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Mien clapperless bell The Mien also accompany some singing with a bell, which is struck with a small bamboo stick.

Bossed Gongs Akha beuleu; Mien bo lor (large),bo mang (small); Khamu rbaang, moong, creeng; Lahu bulo ko also played by Lantaen, Kachin, Karen (Sgaw, Pwo, Pa O, Padaung, Kayah), Shan, Palaung, Tai Lue, Tai Neua

made of bronze in a circular shape with the surface flat or bulging and the rim bent down. . They are usually struck with a soft padded beater but the Kachin use a wooden mallet instead to produce a harder, cymbal-like sound.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Bossed metal gongs are played by all the main ethnic groups except the Lisu and Hmong, usually along with other percussion instruments, sometimes to accompany dances but more often at temple festivals or weddings and all major cermonies and festivities. Traditionally gongs have carried great significance in war, religious occasions, celebrations and musical performances. They were used to make important announcements. They were often credited with strong magic powers, helping to ward off sickness and drive away bad spirits. They were considered a token of prosperity and regarded a having great value.

Gong played in Akha ceremonial music The Shan (also the Palaung) mount three or four gongs of different sizes suspended vertically on a wooden frame (mong jum) for festive occasions.

They have also borrowed from the Burmese and Thai sets of tuned gongs laid on a horizontal frame as well as wooden xylophones used in ensembles to accompany dramas.

The Shan (like the Northern Thai) also use a sort of ‘gong machine’ of four to six or more gongs in which the gongs are struck by beaters attached to one or more levers.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Unbossed gongs Hmong jua neng; Lisu ma, also Lantaen

Lisu ma The Hmong gong is used ins some healing ceremonies. The Lisu ma was traditionally sounded to announce holy days or festivals.

Lantaen unbossed gongs used by a shaman

Hand cymbals (Akha che lae; Lahu shae; Mien chao jae; Karen chua; Khamu ceng; also played by Palaung, Kachin, Lantaen, Tai Lue and Tai Neua) Bronze, range in diameter from @ 13cm. to 35 cm. . The Shan sometimes play a single cymbal, struck with a wooden beater.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

left to right: Akha; Kachin; Karen; Lahu Lantaen large cymbals (?)

Finger cymbals played by Karen (Sgaw, Pwo and Padaung) and Akha

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

@6cm. diameter

Karen klo (Khamu yaan, rpal) Consists of a hollow cylinder one or two feet high with curving sides with one end covered by a flat plate of thinly beaten bronze. Normally it is suspended and often carried on poles; the plate is struck with a heavy stick. It is customarily decorated with small tree frogs, an engraved star and concentric circles in which are birds, fishes, other animals and symbols. A large number of frogs on the striking surface indicates a gong of high value.

Karen klo Historical records show it in use as early as the 4th century BC in China, later in Vietnam and they have for many years been used by the Karen. Mien people also use it in China, primarily on three occasions: to summon the souls of the ancestors for the New Year; when somebody of more than five years of age becomes ill; or when a person dies.

The Khamu yaan is traditionally stored in the forest and played to call the spirits of the ancestors at funerals, buffalo sacrifices and house-building ceremonies.

Khamu yaan

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures The Karen regard it traditionally as calling the ancestor spirits to important occasions as well as inducing rain. They are now played only when there is a major Karen ceremony, often to accompany formal dancing. They are held in great regard and never played outside a formal occasion.

Mien Kim tsin (tsui gim) sistrum 35-55 cm. long made from iron; perforated disks attached to iron lattice wires rattle when shaken. Used by shaman to ward off evil spirits during ceremonies.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Membranophones Goblet-shaped Karen der; Lahu jae gho; Akha thang; Khamu briing; also played by Palaung, Tai Lue a single animal skin (mostly buffalo) membrane attached and made tense with a set of laced ropes. made from a soft wood and a stretched animal hide, usually buffalo and is used in ensembles with gongs and cymbals to accompany formal dances for festivals and on holy days. It is struck with the open hands and held tending toward the horizontal. A weight is often made from a mixture of beeswax and ash or other material and attached to the centre of the drum to tune it and produce the correct tone.

Akha

Black Lahu children

Karen musician

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Thai klawng yao played by Tai Lue and palaung

Akha drummer

Shan klawng buje 1.5 to 2m. tall; body of wood with buffalo hide membrane; metal ring to attach tightening straps to body of drum. Normally a weight is fixed to the centre as in other goblet drums.

waisted Mien pang double sided made from bamboo @60 cm. tall, head diameter 5cm. I do not know what the membrane is made of.

Played at ceremonies for healing and paying respects to ancestors Mien pang and daing ga

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Mien long drums double sided. Used in China but no longer played by the Mien in Thailand.

Wooden body, membrane...... @ cm. tall

Vessel Mien dzoe

wooden body, double sided buffalo hide membrane attached by ropes tightened with wooden wedges round the sides; @21 x 47cm. diameter. Struck with wooden mallets. Played in ensembles with gongs, cymbals and dzat for all ceremonies Lantaen vessel drums

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

Frame drums Small Lantaen frame drum

About 20 cms. diameter, buffalo skin fixed to a bamboo frame; struck with a thin wooden beater; used by the shaman

Barrel drums Hmong jua duwa 58cm.x 40 diameter. hard wood body, membrane buffalo hide.

Made when there is a death and played at the funeral before being burned or buried with the deceased.

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures

cylindrical drums small Lantaen cylindrical drum

Wooden body, double sided buffalo skin membrane taughtened on a circular bamboo frame which is threaded through the skin.

Struck with a small wooden beater. Used by a shaman

Tai Dam barrel drum

Played at festivities to accompany dancing with gongs and cymbals

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures Kachin chying; Wa ge luo; also played by the Pa O, Khamu, Lawa, Lamet and Eng a long double-sided drum made from a tree trunk, brightly decorated, suspended from a wooden frame and struck with a flat beater. It is played by two musicians simultaneously, one at each side. 2 metres long and 50-60 centimetres in diameter. The drum is treated with reverence and is a symbol of the cohesion of the group and the authority of the leaders as well as representing higher spiritual powers on earth. It is only used for important communications and solemn festivals. The Eng Wa consider it a fertility drum. All male members of the community must touch the drum while a musician pounds a steady rhythm.

Tai Dam long drum

set of percussion instruments used by Lantaen shaman

musical instruments of Thailand’s ethnic cultures